"I reject Luna Valerie as my mate. She was caught in bed with a stranger, meaning that she would sell the pack out. The punishment for treachery is death," Alpha Tristan announced heartlessly.
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The Yellow Stone Pack was filled with excitement for the first time since the Alpha was murdered a month ago. The pack mourned for him, but it wasn't safe to go without an Alpha any longer.
The late Alpha had three daughters. The first one, Ashley, enjoyed spending time in Las Vegas, indulging in all the fun. Two years ago, her father disowned her.
His third daughter, Scarlet, turned 18 nine months ago but hadn't found her mate. Her wolf was also not as powerful as that of her elder sister, Valerie. Valerie was the second daughter of the late Alpha.
At 18, her father discovered that she had a Luna wolf. Though a skillful warrior, she would never be able to take over from him. As such, her mate, whether or not with an Alpha wolf, would be the one to take over the pack.
Valerie's wolf, Helga, was exceptionally strong but was blinded from identifying their mate until a few weeks ago.
The pack was waiting anxiously for the Luna to find her mate, agreeing to host the Alphas conference in their pack to give her the opportunity of finding her mate among the unmated Alphas.
It was a shock to everyone that Tristan, one of the strongest warriors, turned out to be her mate. It was well understood that Valerie never saw much of Tristan until it was time for the Alphas conference.
It was the third day of the Alphas conference, and Tristan, Luna Valerie's mate, sneaked in the coronation to be done for a few hours before the continuation of the conference at noon. It was equally his coronation day, as he marked Valeria last night.
Last night, a lot happened, most of which Valerie could not remember but was blushing all through her preparation for her coronation because of the mark on her neck.
"Val, you look very beautiful," Scarlet fawned over her elder sister. Her lips held a smile, but her eyes were distant. Valeria was too excited to notice the contrast in her kid sister's appearance.
"Scarlet, you look very beautiful too. Let's not be late. It's not every time that a coronation is hosted together with an Alphas conference."
This coronation was the biggest because of how it was immense in the Alphas conference, which meant that no Alpha could miss it, but one of them did anyway.
"What about dad, what do you think of him?" Scarlet suddenly asked, watching the smile fade from Valerie's face.
Scarlet never liked Valerie because of how the latter stole the limelight every time but never showed it. Not only was Valeria's beauty alluring, but she was also fierce. Everyone thought that the sisters were inseparable.
"Dad is no more, Scarlet. We have to accept that. I will make sure that after this coronation, I get the strongest warriors to go search for his corpse and Ashley. Dad must be buried with the respect of an Alpha, but that can only be after we ensure the safety of the pack."
Valerie knew about the leadership duties of the pack like the back of her hand. At the Yellow Stone Pack, no one was allowed to mourn for more than a week, so they had long stopped mourning the late Alpha.
Meanwhile, his memories could never be wiped from Valerie's heart, one of the reasons why she was eager to be coronated, to use the opportunity to find his corpse. Tristan had agreed to help her, but she failed to see the unsettled look on Scarlet's face at the revelation of her plans.
"Ashley cut ties with the pack. She isn't worth it. As for dad, his corpse would be rotten by now. No one would be able to recognize it."
"I will recognize it even if it's just his skeleton," Valerie said with determination. Scarlet looked away and scowled as Valerie continued, "as for Ashley, that is what the warrior said, but we didn't hear it from her lips. I still think that father was wrong to disown her but for as long as I am concerned, someone might be behind it."
Scarlet's hand in her sister's hair stiffened, and the diamond clip she was clasping fell. She quickly picked it up. "Do you have anyone in mind?"
Valerie shook her head, but her blood boiled with vengeance towards whoever murdered her father during his usual drive around the pack to check its progress. "How can that be?"
Scarlet smiled a little, satisfied with the response as she helped Valerie with her stilettos.
"Anyway, I heard rumors that Alpha Denzel accepted the invitation to the Alphas conference this time, but no one has seen him since it began. Could it be that he wanted to pay homage to dad? That man carries death with him. It would be better that he doesn't come."
Valerie stiffened slightly at the mention of Alpha Denzel. She has never seen him before, except what she heard from the warriors. It never clouded her judgment of anyone, including Alpha Denzel.
"Scarlet, no Alpha goes about killing anyone for no reason, but with Alpha Denzel's busy schedule, I doubt that he accepted our invitation. If not, then where has he been these few days? The conference ends tomorrow."
Scarlet had more to say, but they were distracted by a voice echoing through a microphone from outside.
"We are calling on Luna Valerie to say her vows," the MC announced from outside. It meant that Tristan had been coronated without inviting Luna Valerie's presence. Things were not done that way, and Valerie felt bitter.
However, there was nothing she could do at this moment with all the guests around. Valerie stepped out with her sister and was being cheered by everyone, but her heart was filled with discomfort, seeing that Tristan was already declared the Alpha without her presence and confirmation.
Something must be wrong somewhere for that to have been done without her. Everywhere in the auditorium where the event was being held was filled to capacity, and every eye focused on the damsel making the entry.
Scarlet disappeared among the crowd after giving Alpha Tristan an approving look. Alpha Tristan rose up and stood beside Valerie.
"You were coronated without my presence and confirmation," Valerie spoke in a whisper, only to his hearing, but her anger was greatly buried and didn't show.
Her glittering low back dress gave her the look of a goddess, as her light brown eyes and light curly long hair, gave her the innocence of a 16-year-old but Tristan had not even looked her in the eyes, and not complimented her beauty too. Not only that, he did not care to honor her question with an answer.
"Luna Valerie, do you…" the MC's words were harshly interrupted by Alpha Tristan. In a white suit, his appearance was a blend of elegance and grace.
"Wait, I have something to say," Tristan objected, Valerie stared at him with a confused look.
"Tristan, what is going on?"
Tristan's gaze suddenly turned ferocious; his voice raised to everyone's hearing. "You think you can spend the night with another man and behave as if everything is fine? You are no angel, Valerie."
A gush of confusion flooded the venue. The looks of admiration in the eyes of the Alphas and the thousands of people present slowly turned to disgust. Valerie's eyes were already misty.
She might be tough, but this accusation broke her, as she couldn't remember it. "I don't understand what you are talking about. I only spent the night with you." Her voice began to break as she shivered.
Knowing the pack constitution, that accusation had serious consequences, including death.
Alpha Tristan scoffed, then pressed something on his phone before announcing, "Everybody, look on your phone."
Valerie was at a loss, so he passed his phone to her. "See for yourself."
With her breath hitching and her knees weakening, Valerie's hand holding the phone shook, and it fell from her hand when she saw the picture of her naked self with an unfamiliar man.
It didn't look photoshopped. Breathing became difficult for her, a few words escaping her, "No. I thought it was you. I don't know that man."
"The late Alpha's second daughter is a tramp," someone said from among the crowd.
"And a liar," someone else added.
"Even after this evidence, she still denies it."
"She has to die, just like her father."
A smirk decorated the corner of Tristan's lips, as he squatted and picked up his phone.
"Stop pretending, Valerie. You are not worthy to bear my mark, or be my Luna. Your junior sister is a much better choice."
Valerie dared not speak, as she didn't have anything to prove her innocence. Worse, she could not remember a thing.
With her head bowed in shame with tears falling from her eyes, she heard Tristan saying, "Scarlet, come here."
Subconsciously lifting her head, she saw her sister walk to Tristan's side with a smile on her face. Valerie felt a stab in her heart.
While she busied herself with managing the affairs of the pack, something abominable was happening right under her nose, but she failed to see it.
It was more gruesome that even her pack members, whom she dedicated her life to, saving them during wars, turned against her with nasty remarks.
Tristan stared at the MC and instructed, "she should be coronated." He was referring to Scarlet. Valerie still had hope that if Scarlet was innocent in all this, then she would reject the offer.
Moreover, Scarlet was a fun-loving girl who never liked managing the affairs of the pack. "Scarlet, what is going on?" Valerie's eyes were red, as she dreaded the outcome of all that was happening.
Tristan must have used the same picture to cause the beta and all the prominent people in the pack to agree to his coronation.
Valerie was at a loss, wrapped with shame and embarrassment, as her kid sister was sworn in as the Luna.
Her eyes were blurred with tears from the disgusted looks pinned on her as the words she feared most were carelessly thrown at her.
"I reject Luna Valerie as my mate. She was caught in bed with a stranger, meaning that she would sell the pack out. The punishment for treachery is death," Alpha Tristan announced heartlessly.
Since he got the Alpha title and the woman he loved all in one day, he no longer had need for Valeria.
Valerie could feel her mate bond cracking and the mark on her neck burning. This was not just about her but also her pack.
If she accepts the rejection, she would be killed, and the pack would belong to the real traitor, Tristan. Valerie didn't want to believe that Scarlet, her own sister, was involved in all this.
"No. I won't accept it. I was with you last night," she roared with tear-filled eyes but was disappointed by the unbelieving looks in the eyes of her pack members.
No one stood for her, rather adding insult to injury. "Liar, we all saw the pictures. There are Alphas and Betas. Don't embarrass yourself," one of her pack members yelled, the rest nodded their heads in agreement, chanting their support for Alpha Tristan and Luna Scarlet.
Valerie would have stood up to Tristan if only she had her pack's support, but since even that seemed like an unattainable dream, her hope died.
"I…I accept your rejection," she murmured through tears. Pain shot through her heart, but it wasn't as painful as the betrayal she faced. With a burning sensation, the mark disappeared from her neck, and the bond was broken.
Valerie stood helplessly in front of the crowd, her wolf wounded, her fragile heart broken, and her soul crushed.
"Sit on the floor," Tristan ordered.
"What?" Valerie could not believe her ears. As the Alpha's second daughter having a Luna wolf, she had pride and would never bow to anyone, much less to sit on the floor.
Before she could understand what was happening, Scarlet shoved her violently. Due to the unexpected move and from the person it came from, she lost her balance, falling hard on the floor with a thud.
Scarlet smirked. This was the time for Valerie to pay for stealing the limelight from her all these years.
Hands were all over Valerie's body, as she groaned from pain. Her luxury shoes were violently pulled from her legs, her dress torn, leaving her in her undies. Slaps from all angles disfigured her beautiful face as she cried without attracting any form of pity.
Valerie was out of breath. She was going to die as the pain from the punches and kicks became unbearable. Her wolf was trying her best to heal her, but more injuries were caused to her without giving her the chance to defend herself.
"STOP!" A thunderous male voice rang from the entrance of the auditorium where everything was taking place. At the sight of the man who was dressed in black suit, and black shirt, black leather shoes, matching his charcoal black curly hair and dark eyes, everyone began to shiver.